From Roland Garros to Wimbledon, Injuries Increased by Switching from Clay to Grass: The Study

Yesterday the winning debut of Jannik Sinner and Matteo Berrettini at Wimbledon and tomorrow it will be the Italian derby. But The arrival of players on the grass of the English tournament after the clay season is not always a smooth transition especially for those, like Sinner and Berrettini, who still have the aftermath of an injury. “In tennis, grass is the surface with the most history, but also the least widespread in the world as a playing surface. In fact, there are 65 major tennis tournaments played every year: 35 are on hard courts, 23 on clay courts and 7 on grass courts. A longitudinal study conducted over 10 years (2003-2012), carried out during the Wimbledon championships, revealed that 61% of the injuries in the tournament had already occurred between Roland Garroswhich is played on clay, and Wimbledon cousinwhich is played on grass. Furthermore, the most commonly affected joints were the knee, ankle and heel”. This is what Andrea Bernetti, vice president of the Italian Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Simfer), told Adnkronos Salute.

“Playing on a fast surface, with less ball bounce and generally shorter point length, can significantly influence the types of injuries – continues the physiatrist – Therefore, There is a potential risk of injury when switching from clay to grass for the change of surface. Even the slipperiness of the field, the landing movements or the braking actions resulting from lateral movements can cause significant stress to the musculoskeletal system. According to research, Playing on grass or a hard court increases the risk to require medical assistance rather than playing on clay.”

“Although hard courts are more involved in the risk of overuse injuries, as they are harder, the uneven surface of the grass represents its pitfalls which, combined with the increased slipperiness, can increase the risk of falls and sprains”, concludes Bernetti.